Spotted sandpiper

species of bird

The spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a small bird in the genus Actitis.[2]

Spotted sandpiper
Breeding plumage
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Actitis
Species:
A. macularius
Binomial name
Actitis macularius
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms

Tringa macularia Linnaeus, 1766
Actitis macularia orth. err.
Tringoides macularius Sharpe, 1896

Description

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Spotted sandpipers are 7.1-7.9 in (18-20 cm) long. It weighs 1.2-1.8 oz (34-50 g). It has a wingspan of 14.6-15.8 in (37-40 cm). Adults have short yellowish legs and an orange bill with a dark tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath with black spots.[3]

Distribution

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They breed near fresh water across most of Canada and the United States. They migrate to the southern United States, the Caribbean, and South America. They are very rare in western Europe.

Feeding

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They eat insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates.

Reproduction

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Spotted sandpipers nest on the ground. During the breeding season, females may mate with more than one male, leaving them to incubate the egg. This is called polyandry.

References

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  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Actitis macularius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names : from aalge to zusii. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-1-4081-3326-2. OCLC 659731768.
  3. "Spotted Sandpiper Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-10-24.